A Christmas Tale, score for Symphony Orchestra
Holiday music

"Christmas Time is Here" is the opening song from A Charlie Brown Christmas, written by Lee Mendelson and composer Vince Guaraldi. Sung by the choir of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, it is heard as Charlie Brown and Linus join the rest of the Peanuts gang in ice-skating at the frozen pond. Two versions of the song appear on the special's soundtrack album - the vocal version as heard in the special, and a six-minute instrumental version which appears as background music during the special. The instrumental version was later used, re-arranged by David Benoit, in It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown and I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown.
In Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales, Snoopy switches to playing this song on the accordion, with Woodstock whistling in unison, after Lucy points out (while walking by with Linus) that his first choice, "Oh! Susanna", does not sound like something to play at Christmastime. In The Peanuts Movie, the children are briefly heard caroling this song when Snoopy, fantasizing that he is the World War I Flying Ace, sneaks in amongst the group. In It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown, Sarah McLachlan performs the song, accompanied by the All-American Boys Chorus.

The tune BUNESSAN is a traditional Gaelic melody firstprinted in 1888 as the setting of Mary MacDonald's carol "Child in theManger." The tune was named after Mary's birthplace on the Isle of Mulloff Scotland's western coast. BUNESSAN is commonly associated with hymnscelebrating new beginnings: the aforementioned "Child in the Manger,"then the 1931 creation-celebrating hymn "Morning Has Broken," and themore recent but lesser-known 1982 hymn ?Baptized in Water.? The title of this piece, ?A Hymn of Beginnings,?recognizes that association.

Sacred bassoon solos aren?t common and those that exist tendto be quite pedestrian. With a new bassoonist in our church orchestra whosetalents go well beyond the pedestrian it seemed opportune to try something newand thus, ?A Hymn of Beginnings? took shape. The music has a conventional feelbut with a palpable dash of the unfamiliar, achieved through subdued bi-tonalcoloring, matching the major-key melody with a minor-key harmonization thatmoves by descending thirds. Still, it remains quite accessible to the casuallistener with its familiar melody and obvious tonality.

?A Hymn of Beginnings? is suitable for intermediate leveland above musicians and works well at any time of the church year with itscontemplative yet varied moods. Its association with new beginnings makes itparticularly suited to Christmas, Easter, baptismal services, weddings, andothers.

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You haven?t heard the Christmas story told this way! 23 hymn titles with new melodies recreate the excitement of Christ?s birth as a sung story. You?ll still recognize a few traditional hymns inserted in four - eight measure segments. Voice part written in the treble clef (Range: C4-D5), yet appropriate for men, women, or children?s voices. A fun and meaningful piece for worship, concert, recital. Duration: 3:12.

Stelle di Natale (Christmas stars) 6 tunes for Brass Quintet (score & parts). Duration 6. (+-)
Bb Trumpets 1-2, F Horn, Trombone and Tuba. Titles: Adeste Fideles, Joy to The World, Deck the Halls, Jingle Bell, We Wish you a Merry Christmas, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.